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This paper examines the evolution of regulations for Quality Assurance (QA) in the Romanian Higher Education system checking whether they foster a conducive environment for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to engage in cooperation at all levels and fulfil their threefold missions: providing qualitative education, conducting impactful research and meaningfully engaging with the community.

The Romanian educational system was marked, in the post-COVID period, by significant legislative updates and policy initiatives which, among other things, extended the dual educational system to the tertiary level, provided a full-lenght learning pathway for students in the vocational education and adopted the European Approach for Joint programmes. This opens new opportunities for HEIs to address their missions. The expectation is that the QA system - policies and practices - should follow the lead and adapt to these changes to lead to quality improvement and accountability as well as act as information tools, compliance tools, or as a supranational quality tool. Therefore, the core of this analysis is a comparative reflection of the new versus the old QA framework and tools. It aims to highlight and reflect on their changes, their compliance with the ESGs and the extent to which the new policies effectively recognize the involvement of HEIs in tertiary dual learning, in European alliances, in European Programmes, joint programmes, flexible learning pathways, hybrid mobility, micro-credentials, cooperative research projects, joint doctoral schools etc.

This paper intends to stimulate discussions on how national policies and QA tools can ensure a comprehensive approach to quality and quality assurance, contributing to the discourse on the importance of HEIs realizing their threefold mission through rigorous QA practices. The findings underscore Romania’s commitment to continuous improvement and alignment with European standards, offering insights for future QA developments in the region.

This paper was presented at EQAF and reflects the views of the named authors only.

ISSN: 1375-3797

Quality assurance a tool for cooperation in HE and for fulfilling the threefold mission of the HEIs: A case study of the Romanian approach. Reflections on the Past, and the Prospects for the Future

Delia Lupescu, Oana Sârbu
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